Cable operated actuator assembly

ABSTRACT

A device for pushing a linearly actuable member comprises a pushbutton, cable, and actuator assembly. The pushbutton is coupled to an end of the cable through a cam and cam follower arrangement such that pushing of the button is converted into a pulling force on the cable by camming a yoke attached to the cable. The other end of the cable is connected to the actuator assembly which pushes the member in response to application of a pulling force from the cable. The actuator assembly includes a pivotally mounted lever having two arms forming an acute angle, with the cable being connected to the end of one arm of the lever and the other arm of the lever abutting against the member to be moved, the lever being mounted so that a portion of the actuator body serves as a fulcrum for the entire lever.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Russell B. Howell Burbank. Calif.[2t] Appl. No. 788.450 [22] Filed Jan. 2,1969 [45] Patented June 29,1971 v [73] Assignee Fnirchild lliller Corporation Bay Shore, N.Y.

[54] CABLE OPERATED ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY 8 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl 74/501 [51] Int. Cl F16c 1/10 [50] Field of Search 74/501501.5, 502 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,l0l,82l 81196 3Henry ABSTRACT: A device for pushing a linearly actuable membercomprises a pushbutton, cable, and actuator assembly. The pushbutton iscoupled to an end of the cable through a cam and cam followerarrangement such that pushing of the button is converted into a pullingforce on the cable by camming a yoke attached to the cable. The otherend of the cable is connected to the actuator assembly which pushes themember in response to application of a pulling force from the cable. Theactuator assembly includes a pivotally mounted lever having two armsforming an acute angle, with the cable being connected to the end of onearm of the lever and the other arm of the lever abutting against themember to be moved, the lever being mounted so that a portion of theactuator body serves as a fulcrum for the entire lever.

PATENTED Jul 29 SHEET 1 0F 2 FIG. 5

FIG. 4

L V a INVENTOR RUSSELL a. HOWELL @Z/:(/

ATTORNEYS PATENTEU JUN29 l97| SHEET 2 OF 2 ow mm Nb g INVENTOR RUSSELLB. HOWELL mm mm mm wv mm mm \b wh w m mm mm T ww Qv M 6 w g on m ATORNEYS CABLE OPERATED ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY The present invention relatesto a mechanical linkage which is intended to apply a substantial pushingforce via a flexible cable to a member to be actuated in response to theactuation of a pushbutton or the like.

- Seat reclining mechanisms (for example of the type used in aircraft)generally include a lock for retaining the seat back in a selectedposition, and, of course, a means for releasing the lock to permitadjustment of the seat back position. The lock may be directly operatedor, as is generally the case, it may be actuable from a position remotefrom the lock (e.g. from an arm rest of the seat). The presentinvention, in its preferred embodiment, is intended for use with aremotely actuable seat reclining mechanism. Typically, the invention maybe used with the seat reclining mechanism illustrated and described inU.S. Pat. Application Ser. No. 650,052, assigned to the assignee of thisinvention. That application discloses an aircraft seat which includes alock and a clutch for releasing the lock. When the user wishes to adjustthe position of the seat back, a remote pushbutton is pushed to actuatethe clutch thereby releasing the lockto permit movement of the seatback. Systems of this general type, wherein a lock can be actuated inresponse to a relatively slight remote actuator movement, are wellknown, and the present invention has utility with many types of suchsystems.

In accordance with the operation of most of such remotely actuablesystems, it is only necessary to push the clutch actuator (or other lockreleasing member) a small distance, although a substantial amount offorce must be applied to push it. In Pat. application No. 650,052 nowU.S. Pat. No. 3,477,890 such force was shown applied by means of a rigidlever assembly. However,it is frequently necessary, or at leastdesirable, to position the lock at a remote location (which may not liein the same plane as the pushbutton) where the use of a rigid leverassembly as the actuating means is inconvenient or highly impractical.In such cases it is preferable to use a flexible cable through which theactuating force can be applied to the clutch actuator. Inherent in theuse of a cable or other nonrigid linkage is the inability to apply asubstantial pushing or compressive force to the load as opposed to apulling or tensioning force. This problem, of course, does not arise inthe case of a rigid lever-type linkage. Since the pushing force requiredto release the lock of US. Pat application No. 650,052 is substantial,the prior art actuator assemblies wherein the linkage includes anelongated cable are unacceptable. Accordingly, the main object of thepresent invention is to provide a cable-type linkage which can be usedto permit application of a substantial pushing or compressive force.

Briefly, according to the invention, an actuator assembly in eludes alever having two arms forming an acute angle, the lever being pivotallyconnected at its apex to an actuator body with the end of one arm of thelever adapted to push against the member to be actuated. A cable isconnected at one end to the other arm of the lever with the said one armof the lever adapted to contact a portion of the actuator body such thatthe body serves as a fulcrum to provide a mechanical advantage for thelever and thus increase the force applied to the member to be actuated.The pulling force may be applied to the other end of the cable by apushbutton connected thereto through a cam and cam follower arrangementwhich causes a pushing force on the button to exert pulling force on thecable.

The manner in which the above and other objects of the invention areachieved is more fully explained below with reference to the attacheddrawings, wherein:

FIG. l is a diagrammatic illustration showing the invention as ittypically would be employed;

FIG. 2 is a side-sectional view showing the actuator assembly ofapreferred embodiment of the invention in a nonactuated condition;

FIG. 3 is a side-sectional view showing the actuator assembly of theinvention in an actuated condition;

FIG. d is a top sectional view of the actuator control member along theline M of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view along the line 5-5 of FIG. 2.

In FIG. l, which illustrates a typical environment in which thepreferred embodiment of the invention can be used, an aircraft seat isshown consisting of a seat-back it), a seat portion l2, and a pair ofarmrests M (only one of which is illustrated). A tubular framelfisupports the seat in a standard fashion, with the back 10 beingpivotally mounted for rotation about a horizontal frame member 18relative to the seat 12.

The actual seat reclining mechanism is not a portion of the presentinvention, and a typical mechanism with which the invention may be usedis fully described in the above-mentioned U.S. Pat. application Ser. No.650,052. Such mechanism comprises a lock housing 20, a cover member 22,and a rear arm 24. The rear arm 24 is adapted to reciprocate relative tothe stationary lock housing 20. Movement of arm 24 to the left(retraction) moves the seat-back l0 clockwise, tending to lower it to areclining position. Moving tube 24- to the right (extension) pivotsseat'back 10 in a counterclockwise direction where it will be in anupright position.

In general, all locks include a clutch, or brake, for holding themechanism with the seat in any desired position. Such locks also have acontrol (illustratively shown at 26) for releasing the clutch, and aspring or other suitable mechanism (not shown) for moving seat-back I0to the upright position when the clutch is released in the absence ofother forces applied to the seat-back. When the clutch is so released, aperson sitting in the seat and leaning against the seat-back, can rotatethe back to any desired reclining position, at which point the clutchcan be engaged to hold the seat-back in that position by releasing thecontrol 26.

The invention relates to the means for operating the control 26 when aremote control member, such as the pushbutton shown at 30, within thearmrest 14 is actuated by the user. According to the invention,pushbutton 30 (or other control member) is coupled to a cable 32 by aconnector (not shown in FIG. I), the other end of cable 32 beingconnected to an actuator assembly 33 which applies a pushing force tocontrol 26 (to release the clutch) in response to the application of apulling or tensioning force to the cable. The construction of apreferred embodiment of the invention is described below with referencenow to FIGS. 2 through 5.

The pushbutton 30 has a partial central bore and is mounted forreciprocating movement within a cylindrical housing 34- suitablyretained in an aperture within the sidewall of armrest I4 in a standardring and washer as shown. A sleeve 35 is held by a pin 36 within thebore of pushbutton 30, the free end of sleeve 35 extending into atubular housing extension 38 which is secured to the interior end ofhousing 34. A portion of the tubular sleeve 35 is cut to form a cammingsurface 4-0 (the purpose of which is explained below) lying generallybeneath a cutout portion 41 of housing extension 38 as viewed in FIG. 2.A connecting slot 42 is punched in sleeve 35 generally beneath thecamming surface 40. The housing extension 38 is retained within thehousing 34 by a pair of retaining rings 44 and 46 (FIG. 2) which matewith suitable grooves (not numbered) in the outer surface of the housingextension 38.

The cable 32 is a standard, commercially available cable comprising aninner stainless steel wire 50 centrally disposed within a three-layerconstruction comprising a heat-shrinkable tubing 52, a nylon sheathing54, and a braided shielding S6. The end of cable 32 closest topushbutton 30 terminates in a cylindrical ferrule 58 which may besecured by an epoxy to the cable end. Ferrule 58 fits into a cylinder 60which extends downwardly from the housing extension 3% around a circularaperture 62 formed within extension 38.

A pair of short links 64 and 66 (FIG. t) are mounted for pivotalmovement on a pin 68 which extends through the right-hand end of theextension 38 as viewed in FIG. 2. Washers 69 and 70 may be inserted overthe pin 68 exterior of the links 641 and 66, and both ends of the pin 68peened to retain the links.

' A yoke 72 is mounted in the links 64 and 66 at the end opposite pin68. The yoke 72 includes axle portions 73 and 74, terminating inprotrusions 75 and 76, respectively, which extend through the links 64and 66 and are peened at their ends over washers 77 and 78 to retain theyoke within the linkage. The center of the yoke, indicated at 80, has agreater diameter than the axle portions 73 and 74 and includes a recess82 through which one end of the wire 50 extends. The end of wire 50,after it is inserted into recess 82, is swaged onto a retaining ball 84so as to retain the end of wire 50 within the yoke 72. A pair of rollers86 and 88 are mounted on the axle portions 73 and 74, respectively, andserve as cam followers which engage the camming surface 40 within thepushbutton sleeve 34. The slope of the curve defining camming surface 40thus should be such as to cause a horizontal movement thereof to exertsufficient force on the rollers 86 to move them (and cable 50) upwardlyto the position shown in FIG. 3.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, a mounting screw 90 is shown extending fromthe lock housing illustrated in FIG. 1. A spring-loaded clutch actuatormember 92 extends axially through mounting screw 90 and is biased bycoil spring 94 toward the left-hand side of FIGS. 2 and 3. The member 92must be pushed to the right for the purpose of releasing the clutchmechanism of the seat adjusting assembly. Actuator 33 applies thenecessary force in response to the pulling of wire 50.

The actuator 33 includes a generally triangular body 96 having a slantedinterior surface 96a and an external aperture 97 into which is insertedthe unthreaded end of mounting screw 90. A setscrew 97a holds theactuator body 96 in place on mounting screw 90. The free end of themember 92 is received within an opening 99 of the actuator body 96. Body96 also includes an integral sleeve portion 98 which receives a ferrule100, which in turn retains the end of the cable 32 opposite thepushbutton 30. The wire 50 extends through ferrule 100 and an aperture102 within actuator body 96 into engagement with one end of a lever 104.Lever 104 includes a long arm 106 forming an acute angle with a shorterarm 108, the end'of the short arm 108 resting in opening 97 of actuatorbody 96 in contact with the spring-loaded member 92. The wire 50 extendsthrough an aperture 109 in the end of long arm 106 where it is swagedonto a ball 110 which rides in a suitable recess 107 within the arm 106.

The lever 104 is pivotally connected at its apex to a pair of links 112and 114 (see FIG. 5) by a pin 116 which is peened over the lever soas topermit rotation of the lever 104 with respect to links 112 and 114. Theopposite ends of links 112 and 114 are pivotally mounted on the actuatorbody 96 by a pin 118 which is peened to the links 112 and 114. Actuatorbody 96 includes a flat-sloped surface 119 which extends into theopening 99 and is adapted to engage the short arm 108 of lever 104 toserve as a fulcrum about which lever 104 can pivot in a counterclockwisedirection. The entire actuator assembly may be enclosed within asuitable housing 122 shaped to permit the required travel of the longlever arm 106 between the positions of FIG. 2 and FIG. 3.

In operation, when the user wishes to adjust the position of seat-back10, he pushes the button from the position shown in FIG. 2 to thatillustrated in FIG. 3. As the pushbutton 30 carries sleeve toward theposition shown in FIG. 3, the camming surface abuts against the camfollower rollers 86 and 88, which ride upwardly on surface 40, causingthe links 64 and 66 of yoke 72 to pivot about axle 68 in a clockwise(upward) direction through the cutout portion 41 of housing extension41.

The upward movement of yoke 72 applies a tensioning or pulling force tothe cable wire 50 which transmits this force to the end of arm 106 oflever 104. Accordingly, lever 104 rotates about pin 116 in acounterclockwise direction. However, as lever 104 starts to rotate, theshort arm 108 abuts against the sloped surface 119 of body 96 whichcauses the entire lever 104 along with links 112 and 114 to rotatecounterclockwise about pin 118 from the FIG. 2 to the FIG. 3 position.This causes a linear inward movement of the clutch actuator member 92which, of course, is of sufficient length to actuate the clutch.

The pivotal movement of lever 104 about pin 118 increases the linearmovement of its short arm 108 (as compared to a. pure pivotal movementabout pin 116) and the leverage resulting from abutment of arm 108against surface 119 produces a mechanical advantage since the length ofthe lever 104 between the applied force (the end of long arm 106) andthe fulcrum (surface 119) is substantially longer than the distancebetween the fulcrum and the end of short arm 108 which applies theforce. Thus, a substantial amount of pressure is applied to thespring-loaded member 92 in moving it to the FIG. 3 position and therebyreleasing the clutch for adjustment of the seat.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustratedand described, various modifications thereof, will be obvious to thoseskilled in the art. Furthermore, the invention would operate in the samefashion for any location of the pushbutton relative to the lockingmechanism. Accordingly, the invention should not be limited except asdefined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. An actuator assembly for use in pushing a member in response to thepulling of an elongated, flexible cable comprising an actuator body, atleast one link pivotally connected at one end to said actuator body andextending away from said member, and a lever having two arms forming anacute angle pivotally connected at its apex to the end of said linkopposite said one end, the end of one of said arms abutting against saidmember when said link is in a first position, said one arm abuttingagainst a portion of said body when said lever is pivoted about saidlink, abutment of said one arm against said body portion causing saidlink and lever to be pivoted toward said member in a rotational movementabout said one end of said link as the other of said arms is pulledtoward the actuator body, said other arm being connected to said cable,whereby a pulling force applied to said cable causes said lever to pivotwith respect to said link and said link to pivot with respect to saidbody thereby urging the end of said one arm against said member.

2. An actuater assembly according to claim 1, wherein said one arm isshorter than said other arm.

3. A device for pushing a member comprising;

a. a pushbutton,

b. a flexible cable,

c. connector means responsive to said pushbutton for pulling said cable,said connector means comprising:

i. a housing,

ii. an elongated member, connected at one end to said pushbutton andslideable in said housing, the other end of said elongated memberincluding a camming surface, and

iii. a cam follower yoke pivotally mounted on said elongated member oneend of said flexible cable being connected to said yoke, said yokeadapted to engage said camming surface, said camming surface beingshaped to cause said yoke to apply a pulling force to said one end ofsaid flexible cable when said pushbutton is pushed, and

d. actuator means for pushing said member in response to the applicationof a pulling force to said flexible cable.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein said actuator means comprises:

i. an actuator body,

ii. a link pivotally connected at one end to said actuator body andextending away from said member, and

iii. a lever having two arms forming an acute angle pivotally connectedat its apex to the end of said link opposite said one end, the end ofone of said arms adapted to abut against said member, said other armadapted to abut against a portion of said body such that said bodyportion can serve as a fulcrum around which said link can pivot of saidlinks pivotally connected to said actuator body, the lever beingpositioned between said links, with a portion of the actuator bodybetween said links forming said body portion.

7 An actuator assembly according to claim 1, wherein the angle betweensaid link and said other arm is greater than said acute angle.

8. An actuator assembly according to claim 7, wherein the angle betweensaid link and said other arm is approximately

1. An actuator assembly for use in pushing a member in response to thepulling of an elongated, flexible cable comprising an actuator body, atleast one link pivotally connected at one end to said actuator body andextending away from said member, and a lever having two arms forming anacute angle pivotally connected at its apex to the end of said linkopposite said one end, the end of one of said arms abutting against saidmember when said link is in a first position, said one arm abuttingagainst a portion of said body when said lever is pivoted about saidlink, abutment of said one arm against said body portion causing saidlink and lever to be pivoted toward said member in a rotational movementabout said one end of said link as the other of said Arms is pulledtoward the actuator body, said other arm being connected to said cable,whereby a pulling force applied to said cable causes said lever to pivotwith respect to said link and said link to pivot with respect to saidbody thereby urging the end of said one arm against said member.
 2. Anactuater assembly according to claim 1, wherein said one arm is shorterthan said other arm.
 3. A device for pushing a member comprising; a. apushbutton, b. a flexible cable, c. connector means responsive to saidpushbutton for pulling said cable, said connector means comprising: i. ahousing, ii. an elongated member, connected at one end to saidpushbutton and slideable in said housing, the other end of saidelongated member including a camming surface, and iii. a cam followeryoke pivotally mounted on said elongated member one end of said flexiblecable being connected to said yoke, said yoke adapted to engage saidcamming surface, said camming surface being shaped to cause said yoke toapply a pulling force to said one end of said flexible cable when saidpushbutton is pushed, and d. actuator means for pushing said member inresponse to the application of a pulling force to said flexible cable.4. A device according to claim 3, wherein said actuator means comprises:i. an actuator body, ii. a link pivotally connected at one end to saidactuator body and extending away from said member, and iii. a leverhaving two arms forming an acute angle pivotally connected at its apexto the end of said link opposite said one end, the end of one of saidarms adapted to abut against said member, said other arm adapted to abutagainst a portion of said body such that said body portion can serve asa fulcrum around which said link can pivot with the lever toward saidmember when the lever is pivoted toward said member, said other armbeing connected to said pulling member, whereby tension on said flexiblecable causes said lever to pivot with respect to said link and said linkto pivot with respect to said body thereby urging the free end of saidone arm against said member.
 5. A device according to claim 4, whereinsaid one arm is shorter than the other of said arms.
 6. An actuatorassembly according to claim 1, including two of said links pivotallyconnected to said actuator body, the lever being positioned between saidlinks, with a portion of the actuator body between said links formingsaid body portion.
 7. An actuator assembly according to claim 1, whereinthe angle between said link and said other arm is greater than saidacute angle.
 8. An actuator assembly according to claim 7, wherein theangle between said link and said other arm is approximately 90*.